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blog, Church, Features, Pastor Scott Mann, Stories / 14 Nov 2022
Difficult Conversations
Have you ever had a time when you have wanted to avoid a conversation with someone because you just knew it was not going to go well? Maybe it was something that hurt you or aggravated you, maybe it was something that concerned you yet you felt it didn’t bother the other person, or so it seemed. Proverbs 15:1 gives us some good advice when times like these arise, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” In Hebrew the word for “gentle” in this verse is the word rak. Rak is used 16 times in Scripture and relates to the quality of being tender, soft or delicate in substance. Our “gentle answer” should soothe and comfort the one we are speaking with. So often when conversations come up where we know we are most likely to be misunderstood, our minds go to a place that usually has only two goals in mind: to prove how right we are or to prove the other person is wrong. When those are our thoughts, we have strayed from the very basic practices of our faith. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to exercise emotional restraint by giving gentle responses rather than harsh or painful ones. When our responses become gentler, it enables us to turn away anger instead of stirring it up. This is something I personally need to work on.So how do we walk this out practically? I have found three questions that may help with this. 1. What part of this issue can I own and apologize for? Often when conflict occurs, two people have two opposing narratives about the situation at hand. And usually there isn’t one person who is perfectly right or entirely wrong. I’m not talking about owning things that aren’t…
blog, Church, Features, special-events, Stories / 03 Jul 2020
Celebrate our Graduates
To the Class of 2020—no one, especially you, would have ever dreamed you would finish out your high school career by completing classes online from home and being asked to not congregate with your friends making those final memories. You lost your 2020 Prom, spring sports seasons, and senior skip day just to name a few, but what you have gained is irreplaceable and unforgettable… Persistence and perseverance. These trying times of 2020 have found us relying even more on our faith and trust in the Lord and His promises to keep us safe. These moments find us looking back to events of the past. In the fall of your freshman year, you stood before your parents and your family of faith at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church as you professed your faith and affirmed your baptism. As I recall that day in your faith journey, I found myself looking back to the Bible verses you chose for that special day of Confirmation. Do you remember those words? As you go on to the next phase of your life journey, lets’ take a look back at the guiding words you choose… Now as you go on to become even greater, we hope and pray that you stay connected to your faith in Christ and to your family of faith. We are here to pray for you, cheer you on, and guide you in any way you need. Congratulations Class of 2020—you are blessed to be a blessing! Jackie Kiel Keagan Jolee Cherrier “As, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” ~Matthew 7:7 Dustin Joseph Groskeutz “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tested the heavenly gift, and…